COVID-19: Bhubaneswar Civic Body Conducts Massive Community Awareness Drives

Bhubaneswar: Strengthening its efforts and focus on protecting senior citizens, elderly people who are the most vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Monday conducted a massive Community Outreach programme here to create maximum awareness on how to control the spread of coronavirus outbreak through active community participation.

Addressing the awareness drive, Shri Prem Chandra Chaudhary, Commissioner, BMC, interacted with over 50 senior citizens and COVID sachetaks of BMC Ward No. 36 at the conference hall of Atal Bhawan, Chemist & Druggist Association Office in Unit 4 area of the city.

The hour-long programme was fully interactive where senior citizens from different backgrounds shared their views, suggestions and grievances directly with the BMC Commissioner.

The Commissioner sought feedback from the senior citizens and elderly people, especially on how COVID-19 management efforts of BMC could be further improved with support from people in the coming days. “Bhubaneswar has been very well managed in comparison to other capital cities and the credit goes to the citizens and organisations involved in fight against the pandemic,” Chaudhary said.

He also said that the top priority of BMC is identification and protection of vulnerable population. This apart, the commissioner appreciated COVID sachetaks, saying they are the real force behind BMC’s efforts in containing COVID-19.

Now, the violators of COVID-19 guidelines such as social distancing, wearing masks would be warned by COVID sachetaks who will subsequently report of violations in their areas to the enforcement teams and police for stringent action.

“The programme was need of the hour to create awareness among people, and we are so happy that BMC Commissioner had patiently took our questions, grievances and suggested solutions which are very practical and implementable. More such programmes will be immensely helpful for Bhubaneswar residents,” said Dr. Sourendra Kumar Mahapatra, Trustee of Maha Bodhi Society of India, an international religious institution. Mahapatra attended the programme along with other members of his organisation.

The programme was also attended by Shri Subrat Panda, joint secretary, Water Resources Department and senior supervising officer (COVID-19, BMC), Shri Ansuman Rath, zonal deputy commissioner, south east zone and Shri Swarup Nandan Behera, OSD to BMC.

Similarly, the civic body has organised community outreach programmes in its other zones such as south west and north zones in the city.

Awareness programmes were held at Harekrusna Nagar, Niladri Vihar in north zone and another at Gandamunda High School, Ward No- 62 of south west zone where an interaction was held with sachetaks, slum committees, SHG leaders and other ground level workers.

Shri Pramod Kumar Prusty, zonal deputy commissioner, north and Shri Rabi Narayan Jethhy, south west were present in their respective zones during the programme.

The community awareness programmes will be continued at different locations in all three zones of the civic body every day.